redshiftlogs | persona non grata. [OPEN]

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persona non grata. [OPEN]

WHO: Rey and you!
WHAT: After keeping her distance for a while, Rey runs into the inevitable -- other people. And also an obsessive mutant cat that seems to follow her wherever she goes.
WHERE: All over Anchor.
WHEN: Month of October.

NOTES: I have a strong preference towards prose but I can handle brackets as well!

i. Bar;

There were periods in which Rey would spend days without seeing or communicating with another person. An unhealthy habit for sure, but it was something she had become used to during her period in the sky prison, carefully evading the synthetic wards among the labyrinthine corridors and inner tunnels and pipes. For someone as heavy and lumbering as Rey, she was surprisingly agile and stealthy. It also helped that she had plenty of experience in knowing where to go and how to avoid being seen.

Right now she's not spending much effort in doing so. After all, she's found that this isn't in fact the sky prison. There's no IV or synthetic sentry in sight, as far as she can tell. If there were... Well, she would just have to deal with them as they came.

Today, she just wants a drink or twenty. Except every time she orders, the fucking robot bartender gets her order wrong. And it couldn't have possibly gotten her order more wrong if it threw its memory core through a trash compactor where it belonged.

"Useless heap of fuck-metal shit," Rey seethes as she tosses the tequila sunrise aside. "Don't you know how to-- AUGH."

Luckily, she's not too drunk to avoid ducking in time as another tequila sunrise goes sailing over her head, intended for her face. The glass shatters against the wall, spilling liquor across the floor and then some.

Hissing between her teeth, Rey straightens herself immediately, fingers balled into fists as her eyes widen at the robot. "You motherfucker, you planned that, didn't you!"

Honestly, you just can't trust robots. None of them.

ii. Mess Hall;

Much like her social habits, eating is something Rey has been putting off for a while. There's plenty of water and booze at the bar, but you can only go on for so long on a liquid diet before the body starts to crave for something more.

Rey, on the other hand, could stave off those urges for months if she had to. If she had to being the key phrase here. Once it became glaringly obvious that she doesn't have to starve herself in order to evade whatever authority or presence here, or if it even matters to do so at all, she finally takes the risk to venture deeper into the depths of the city for something more than just scouting the vicinity. She could survive without food and water longer than a human, but that doesn't mean the urge doesn't creep up on her after a few weeks. Then, once again, it's about survival rather than obstinacy and pride.

Upon arriving there, however, she's not quite sure what to do with herself anymore. She's never cooked before, at least never any complicated meals that didn't come already prepped out of a can. She grimaces at the pre-made options, most which look to be well passed their expiration.

"Wehhhh," comes a whiny voice at her heel.

Rey looks down to see the same one-eyed tripedal feline bumping its head against her knee. It's been following her after she ran into some other weirdo at the bar, and she hasn't been able to shake the thing ever since. It doesn't take an animal person to assume what it probably wants, though. "Guess you must be hungry, huh?"

Naturally, the cat doesn't answer, though you never know. The last saptient being pretending to be just another animal turned out to be pretty wordy in the end.

No such luck this time. Just another flat "weehhh" as the feline sits on its hindquarters to paw at her with its one front paw. Chances are more likely that it's trying to urge her to care for herself first, but hell if Rey is going to take that hint.

iii. Bottom Levels;

Despite a perfectly functional barracks in the upper floors, Rey doesn't make herself known there. Being in places where people can expect to find her, where she can be easily tracked, is not something she is accustomed to. It's better to make herself scarce wherever possible. Don't get comfortable. Keep moving. No use in getting attached to whatever lifestyle they're expected to have here. And she refuses to become a complacent little hamster in a cage. No, that's not her. She won't let it happen; not if she has a say in the matter.

What few hours of sleep she allows herself ends up being in the most awkward places. Sometimes she can be found at the plaza or park, eyes mostly closed, only peering through slits as she stands in the middle of a walkway or shoulder leaning against a wall -- quietly snoring and drooling a little out the corner of her mouth until she's nudged awake by a concerned or amused passersby.

Other times she is pouring over what remains of the library, though barely able to keep herself cognizant of the words in front of her before nodding off at a desk. From time to time she'll jolt herself awake, slamming her forehead against the tabletop.

That damned cat might be accompanying her again, pawing and nudging at her as if trying to communicate some message that she refuses to diciper. Honestly, she figured that it would have moved on by now once it realized she had nothing special to offer it, but no matter what she does the animal always seems to find its way back to her. It would be annoying if it didn't also didn't help keep her awake at the same time. Small miracles, indeed.

iv; Wildcard

[ooc: Have something else in mind you'd like to do with Rey, or none of the above suit your fancy? Make your own or hit me up! Also feel free to check out my CR meme comment for info/ideas.]

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The extra mindfulness towards library manners flies passed Rey in the wake of this person she's spoken to before. Twice, unbeknownst to her at the moment. Fuck, what did she say her name was again...?

She balks, then glances down at the cat circling around her legs. Rey shifts, but doesn't seem to deter its path. Is it trying to tell her something? Hell if she knows; it's not like she's ever had a pet before, and she doesn't tend to know how to handle animals.

"Um, no. Not really. He just... follows around everywhere." Rey shrugs, remembering what Peter had said earlier. Guess he was hers at one point, or so the cat seems to think.

Elleru smiles knowingly. "Perhaps you are his, then," she remarks. "How nice it must be, to be claimed by a cat."

She steps away from the shelves and closer to the table, trying to recall her name -- she only then realizes that she never truly got it. Rude as that may be, it is a blessing in disguise, as it does give her the chance to hide her true identity. After all, it'd be so easy to tell she was the injured kaulahren when they both have the same name.

Should she hide who she is, though? Elleru debates herself internally for a second to two, her desire for honesty conflicting with the nature of her gifts. On the one hand, this scarred upright hadn't liked that she'd hidden that she could speak, remaining mute like the lesser beasts. On the other, it wasn't exactly a secret that kaulahren were intelligent, but it was that they could shift, and she's not sure how comfortable she is with revealing their greatest ability to the strange uprights of this place just yet. Their ability to hide among the uprights was what kept them alive, and if that information were to spread...

She will avoid it, then. She might have some brazen ideals in comparison to her colony, but she will not betray them, certainly to an upright she doesn't know if she can fully trust.

Her eyes flick back to the woman at the table. "Do you know his name?"

"Name?"

Rey's face scrunches at the suggestion, glancing down at the cat beaming up at her with it's one, bright eye. If she were a normal person, she'd probably be horrified of the thing. Between its clingy nature and the fact that it seems hopelessly lost on its own... more or less she's been stuck with it.

She huffs. Whatever is going on with this woman right now, she'll sort it out soon. "No, never really got its name. Wasn't sure it had one."

And frankly, Rey isn't the type to just call something other than what it is on the fly. She's mostly been calling it 'that cat' for the time being.

"I am sure it has a name!" Elleru insists. "We all must have one, after all. Is that not right?"

She crouches as she directs that question toward the cat, offering her hand for him to sniff, her palm up to show she means no harm. She looks up to the scarred upright before her, her smile warm and inviting.

"Do you have a name?"

Eyes darting from the cat to the woman again, Rey freezes, forgetting about whatever the animal could be called altogether and tenses up. Does she... really not know? The Matchmaker seemed to have been clear in displaying personal information, including their names. If she tells it, will she then remember their texts and Rey's own self-flagellating behavior? Not her finest moment, for sure, but she was so certain that the woman's flirtatious replies would lead into something more serious.

Well, she sure as shit accomplished that on her own. So stupid...

"Rey," she says reluctantly, pausing to gauge the woman's response. Does she know now?

Rey may be anticipating anger or disgust from this woman who once knew her, but she's met with only a bright smile and a soft, coquettish giggle, neither of which show a hint of recognition. What a cute name, Elleru thinks, her ears twitching in delight -- so short and perfectly fitting for an upright. All the names she has learned here so far have been fitting, but this one in particular.

"We will find out your name," she tells Tripod, rising to her full height before offering Rey her hand to shake. "You may call me Elleru."

Apparently, this place thought Rey deserved a second chance at their meeting -- third if one counts the baths.

Okay, that was so not the response Rey was expecting that she doesn't know how else to respond now. She frowns, though she should be grateful. Anyone would be glad not to get glared at and snubbed by someone she so clearly pissed off on purpose. Instead this -- Elleru, she said? -- just laughs it off like it's nothing. Either she's that flippant or...

Doesn't she remember? Rey pinches the bridge of her nose as she falls silent for a bit. That kid at the bar earlier seemed to know a past version of herself that Rey has no memory of, and clearly a 'Rey' from a situation similar to her current one than all the shit on the homefront. The longer she's been here, the more she's been able to piece it all together, little by little, but still it's frustrating. Hell, even the fucking cat seems to know something that she doesn't.

Pathetic...

Eventually Rey looks back to Elleru again, expression more neutral than their first physical encounter together.

"All right, Elleru," she answers with some hesitation. "Well, would offer the cat to you if it seemed interested in going anywhere else."

As it is, it goes where Rey goes, and usually keeps a distance when others are nearby. The fact that it's out in the open now in front of Elleru is a surprise, though Rey can't say she blames it. Like the cat, she's a little... unique, compared to the type of people she's used to seeing.

Elleru lets out a little gasp, her hand still extended for that shake. She's waiting, Rey.

"Oh no, you cannot give him to me!" she exclaims, her ears dipping as she realizes she's being loud again. Back to a whisper she goes. "You are his now. He is not yours to give, and would clearly be happier with you. Is that not right?"

She's asking Tripod, giving him a smile as vibrant as her hair.

It takes Rey a moment to realize what Elleru means by the gesture. It's not that she doesn't recognize it; it just isn't a practice she would expect at wherever she's from. Pausing, she reaches over the table to return the shake -- if only because she had a feeling that Elleru would keep it there in her face otherwise.

After she just leans back in her chair, her lips tightening into a thin line as she studies the strange looking woman.

"Well, he's got bad taste, then. Thing like that would probably be happier with someone in a more... stable living situation."

Because Rey isn't stepping foot in those barracks and she hasn't spent much time dawdling in one place beyond the occasional napping spot.

The shake -- however delayed -- seems to please Elleru enough that she doesn't question Rey's behavior. Perhaps she was doing it wrong, she considers briefly, and one is supposed to announce they wish to shake. She can look into it, should she find any books explaining the ritual.

Besides, she has other, more pressing questions. "More stable? Do you not have a place to live here?"

Rey drags her hand down her face, before resting her chin back into her palm again.

"Having a 'place to live' would entail taking up residency. Which implies long-term commitment to... whatever's here. Don't plan to stay long."

Not that she has much a say in the matter, but Rey isn't trying to get her hopes up. She can't let herself get complacent like she did it in Chicago...

Elleru's ears dip; she does her best to hide her disappointment that one of the few uprights she has encountered more than once -- one who helped her, nonetheless, though she does not yet know it -- may not be around for long.

"Do you not?" she asks quietly. "How do you plan to leave? I did not think it possible."

Though to be fair, she might have misunderstood the fellow on the screen when she'd first awakened in Anchor. Common is not her first language, after all.

Edited 2019-10-27 08:35 (UTC)

...It's clear pretty fast that there's something of a misunderstanding here.

"What? No, that's not..." Sigh. "Just not about to make any expectations here."

Safer that way. Keeps from setting herself up for disappointment in the future. Plus finding even a temporary residence sounds like such a pain to deal with when she's barely sleeping and doesn't have that much shit to cart around.

Unfortunately, Rey's intent goes completely missed.

"Why is that? Is it often that people leave?"

Rey looks at Elleru like maybe the other woman hit her head or something.

"Don't they always?"

Live long enough, and you don't get attached to the concept of permanence and long-term notions.

She shakes her head, thinking only of the immediate, surface-level implications rather than the deeper ones.

"I do not know. I have not been here long, and I have only met a few, but... what time I have had with them will be cherished."

She offers Rey a smile, one genuine and playful. "The same goes for you, Rrey. If this is the only time we meet, we should not waste it."

To say that Rey's never been a fan of the instant gratification concept is an understatement. Meeting people for the sake of the experience has always sounded like a waste of time.

"Sounds like a waste of time," Rey says aloud, scratching her forehead as an excuse to avoid eye contact. Her brows knit together in frustration. "Seriously. What is anyone supposed to get out of that shit?"

Fun? She doesn't really have fun.

Rey rebuffs another of Elleru's attempts at friendliness, and her ears dip again, a quiet sigh escaping her as she purses her lips. She had hoped this seemingly trustworthy upright would prove a valuable ally, someone she could confide in -- she is the only one who has seen her natural form, after all, even if she doesn't know it was her that day in the baths.

"You make friends," she reiterates quietly, her magenta eyes falling on the cat near her feet. "Do you not want any? Or are you afraid because you may lose them?"

Rey lowers her hand to give Elleru a sidelong look.

"Not a fear when it just happens."

That made more sense in Rey's head. And, well, it still does, in a way. If she expects it, then she doesn't have to be afraid of something bad happening when it does. A knife in the back. Hatred. Disgust. Betrayal. Doesn't matter so long as she can see it coming, right? Right...

That look tells Elleru all she needs to know. She gives Rey a genuine, but knowing smile.

"A fear, then. It is okay to be afraid, and to hold those you would fear to lose close. I believe I would do the same, if I had someone I was afraid to lose."

And she offers Rey a look of her own with a hint of a nod, as though Rey could be one of those people.

Edited 2019-10-29 06:15 (UTC)

Ugh, why'd she have to go and say it that way?

"Don't have to worry if there's no one to lose."

It seems logical on the conceptual level. Rey doesn't have to fear pain and loss so long as she has nothing. Could anyone consider that living? Probably not, but who's to say that she deserves that right to live? Even when those she has hurt the most seemed to have given her a semblance of absolution to move on with her life, she wouldn't even know where to begin in doing so. It's not like she has ever been normal, done normal things and fretted over normal problems. How would she know where to even start?

Rey might not be normal, but neither is Elleru. She pulls a nearby chair to her, sliding into the seat, making herself comfortable at Rey's table for the time being.

"That is a lonely life. Tell me the truth, Rrey: do you not want for yourself?"

Dammit, she's sitting down now, asking questions and trying to get close. Rey can't help but remember how their last conversation went... even if Elleru doesn't seem to act like she knows, and maybe she doesn't. People's memories seem to work weird in this place. The next time they meet, will only one of them even remember this conversation? Does the outcome of this interaction really matter, in the end?

"Why?" Rey scoffs. "Wanting something just ends in disappointment, anyway."

She wanted... something, with Faye. What it was specifically, she's not sure she cares to entertain the thought. But it was something.

"You did not answer my question," Elleru states, her eyes upon Rey, boring into her.

If she remembers their previous chat before the baths, she certainly doesn't show it, not even a hint of coyness in her expression when she asks similar questions, hits similar beats. She's still trying to smile, but there's a serious edge to her tone, her interest in Rey -- and what she has to say -- sincere. This upright helped her, and she wants to know if she can do the same in some way.

"No," Rey retorts flatly, as though the words are acrid on her very tongue. She doesn't miss a beat when she speaks. "It's stupid. There's no point."

That's what she keeps telling herself, anyway. Live for yourself, that's what someone like her brother would say -- what Undine would have likely said, if she were alive. Maybe even Faye would have agreed. But none of those people are here now, so what good does it do for Rey now?

It'd be too much to tell someone who barely knows her what a vile and hateful creature she is. People get frustrated and give up eventually.

They have to.

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